Leave it to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to make his congratulatory wishes to Sen.-elect Cory Booker a poke in the ribs.

A day after Booker beat Republican Steve Lonegan in a special U.S. Senate election, Christie playfully complimented the Democrat's victory by getting in a joke about Booker's favorite football team, the winless New York Giants.

"I'm happy for the mayor today and his victory last night," Christie said, appearing with Booker and other officials at a groundbreaking for a supermarket. "It was the first win for the Giants all year. Little did Tom Coughlin (the team's coach) know he'd have to rely on a washed-up tight end from Stanford. Desperate times call for desperate measures, don't they, Cory?"

Booker, the mayor of Newark, did in fact play varsity football while in college. Besides posting the video of his remarks on Twitter, Christie tweeted a snapshot taken as he greeted Booker at the event.

The governor, who has been playing up his ability to work with Democrats as he seeks re-election next month, said it represented "another example of how people of different parties can work together and accomplish big things."

Booker defeated Lonegan, who was supported by Christie, by about 11 points.

President Obama called Booker to congratulate him last night, leaving the newly elected senator a voicemail. "He's going to do a great job," Obama said Thursday.

No word on when Booker will take his oath of office in Washington, but he said on MSNBC that it would be "the next week, next two weeks max."